


feel brand new

by Evening_Winds



Series: factories [4]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, i wrote this for the biggest fan of my fics and that’s ME!!!, leon’s awkward adventures in self-esteem issues and Feelings (TM)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23303827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evening_Winds/pseuds/Evening_Winds
Summary: It made something warm stir in Leon’s heart. This budding feeling… What could it be? He had a hunch, but now was not the time to think of such things. So, he tucked it away deep in his heart, to wait for a more opportune time to thoroughly examine it.- - -aka there are always two sides to a story.aka snippets ofthe best way to put together me (will you and i make a breakthrough)flashbacks and an extra scene, all from leon’s pov[you should probably read part 1 offactoriesfor context first, but the extra scene (ch 2) works as a stand-alone]
Relationships: Dande | Leon & Kibana | Raihan, Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan, some background Nessa/Sonia
Series: factories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619587
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote _factories_ with raihan as the focal point, but there were some scenes in _breakthrough_ i wanted to explore from leon’s pov even as i was writing it… and, over time, this happened. so might as well post it! (i guess part 3 wasn’t the last part of the series after all…) might reorder the series at some point and make this part 2. idk. we’ll see
> 
> also, as i was writing this i found out that it’s actually stated in-game that leon became champion at 10 years old. apparently i didn’t know how to read during my own playthrough. whoops. but TOO BAD!! they’re 14 during the gym challenge in this fic series, who cares about what canon says anyway
> 
> the usual caveat: this is unbeta’d + english isn’t my first language so there’re probably some mistakes and general clunkiness. the title is from – you guessed it – Factories by Autoheart (in reality, this series was just an elaborate ploy to get more people to listen to Autoheart)
> 
> chapter 1: flashback scenes from _the best way to put together me (will you and i make a breakthrough)_ from leon’s pov  
> chapter 2: extra flashback scene (also from leon’s pov)  
> (these could’ve been two separate fics but i ran out of suitable lyrics to use as titles lmao)

The first thing Leon did upon reaching Route 3 was scour every patch of tall grass he ran across in hopes of finding new Pokémon to add to his team. Sonia had tagged along at first, but eventually grown tired and directed her efforts to finding a suitable place to set up camp for the night. In the meantime, Leon had found a promising Rookidee and was engaged in a battle with it.

“Good job, Charmander!” he cheered as his partner Pokémon landed another successful hit. Charmander jumped in place and chirped happily at the praise. Turning his focus back to the opposing Pokémon, Leon did some quick calculations in his head and studied the wild Rookidee’s body language. It should be sufficiently weakened for a guaranteed catch.

He patted his cheeks a couple of times. You got this.

After a few steadying breaths he fished a Poké Ball out of his pocket. He carefully estimated the distance between him and the wild Pokémon, aimed and threw the ball. The Rookidee disappeared inside in a bright flash of light.

To Leon’s surprise, the Poké Ball clicked shut almost immediately.

He made his way to where the ball had landed and carefully picked it up. It felt warm against the palm of his hand. He couldn’t help letting a smile spread on his face.

“Look here,” he said, presenting the Poké Ball to Charmander and letting him sniff at it. “Another new friend has joined our team!”

“Oh my Arceus! You have a Charmander?!”

Leon jumped at the sudden, unfamiliar voice and only barely prevented the Poké Ball with his newest team member falling to the ground. Who in their right mind went around yelling at random people about their Pokémon, no matter how rare they were, and scaring them half to death? Irritated, he turned around towards the source of the voice, and - -

Oh.

Leon’s annoyance was gone in an instant.

It was that boy from the opening ceremony.

The cute boy he had kept stealing glances at.

The cute boy who was now standing right there in front of him and intently looking at him.

The cute boy - -

It took Leon a few moments to remember how to speak. “Uh, yeah,” he managed.

What a fantastic start. So eloquent.

Leon told his brain to shut up and continued, “Do you like Fire types too?”

Okay, that was a tad better.

“Yeah, they’re pretty great,” the boy replied. “But Dragon types are way cooler! And Charmander will be a Charizard once it fully evolves, right? Too bad it becomes Fire/Flying and not Fire/Dragon, though… It would’ve been extra cool then.” There was unbridled enthusiasm in the boy’s voice. It was so endearing that a small burst of laughter escaped Leon’s lips as he stashed Rookidee’s Poké Ball in his bag.

A person who talked about Pokémon that way was bound to be prime friend material, Leon mused. Even if they ran around scaring unsuspecting fellow Trainers half to death.

He then picked up his Charmander, careful of the flame at the tip of its tail, and kept the conversation going as he walked up to the boy. “You’d assume that it’d be Dragon type, right? The evolutionary line definitely has a lot of dragon-like qualities.” The stepped out of the tall grass and stopped, looking up to the other boy’s face. “Pokémon are really fascinating, aren’t they?”

It suddenly dawned on Leon that the boy was even cuter up close.

So cute.

The boy’s eyes were fixed on Charmander, though. “You can’t find Charmander here in Galar. Where’d you get this little fella?”

Before Leon had time to get his thoughts in order, Sonia – whose approach Leon hadn’t even noticed until just then, so caught up he had been in the presence of their unexpected guest – answered the question in his stead. “He got it from my grandmother.”

It was almost funny how startled the other boy was by the unexpected voice coming from behind him. Confused, he turned to look at Sonia who was eyeing the both of them curiously.

She stayed silent. So did the boy.

A few moments passed before Leon came to the startling realization that someone should probably explain the situation. And that the somebody was him. “Ah! That’s Sonia. We’re doing the Gym Challenge together. We’ve been friends since we were little. Her grandmother is Professor Magnolia, actually. She got this Charmander for my birthday from the Pokémon Professor in Kanto. Or, more accurately, the egg. He hatched just in time for the Gym Challenge.” Wow, now he was rambling like there’s no tomorrow. Why were his nerves so shot? Leon forced himself to slow down and asked, “You’re a Gym Challenger too, right?”

Luckily, the boy wasn’t looking at him just then, because Leon visibly winced at his own words. Of course he was a fellow Challenger, you idiot, you saw each other at the opening ceremony! He wanted nothing more than to crawl under a rock and die. What a great first impression he was giving.

The boy’s eyes were on him again, and Leon couldn’t help but stare right back. How could his eyes be such a vibrant shade of teal? Did he wear colored contacts?

Tentatively, the boy nodded. Oh, good. Maybe he hadn’t noticed how stupid Leon’s question had been. Leon smiled at him, and that’s when he realized - -

“Oh! Right. I’m Leon, by the way,” he said, only slightly fumbling over the words. Where were his manners? His mother would’ve given him an earful for this if she knew. He extended his hand towards the boy and did his best to hold onto Charmander with just one arm.

The boy stared at his hand for a moment before he took it in his and shook it lightly. “…Raihan.”

Leon opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Sonia. “Now quit dilly-dallying in the tall grass and come help me set up camp, Lee! You’ve had enough fun for now, I’m not gonna let you just laze around. We need to get the tent pitched before it gets too dark,” she said before turning on her heel towards what Leon assumed was their campsite for the night. “And I’m hungry!” she added.

Of course she was. She always got antsy if she didn’t get food in her stomach at regular intervals. “Yeah, coming!” Leon yelled after her. He directed an apologetic smile at Raihan and benevolently rolled his eyes.

“A-anyway, it was nice meeting you,” Raihan said and let go of his hand. Leon hadn’t realized he had been holding onto it. He missed the contact already. “You and Sonia, I mean. And Charmander,” Raihan added and glanced towards the mines. “I guess I should…”

Wait, wait, _wait._

He was going to go away already?

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

Leon had messed up after all.

“You’re not leaving yet, are you?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound too desperate. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to befriend Raihan. There was something about him that Leon felt drawn towards, and he might not get another chance if he let this one slip. “You should join us! I can make pretty good curry if I do say so myself. We can have a Pokémon battle later! Do you like battling? I can show you what my Charmander can do!”

Well… Maybe he was being a bit desperate.

Making friends was hard.

Raihan was silent for a moment. “I… Uh… Sure,” he replied, a cautious smile spreading on his lips. “I’d like that.”

Relief mixed with something else, a more vague emotion, in Leon’s chest. He gave Raihan one of his dazzling smiles. “Awesome! My tent should be big enough for the three of us, so no need to set up yours for the night. We should go help Sonia, though. Could you get started with the cookfire?”

Later in the evening, he and Raihan had a Pokémon battle. Although they both had only just started their journeys, Raihan was a top-notch Trainer already, a diamond in the rough. He really gave Leon and Charmander a run for their money. Leon’s heart was hammering in his chest the whole time, his entire being trembling with excitement. Now _this_ was what he called a proper match!

In the end, Raihan lost, but he was a good sport about it. He gave Leon earnest praise, and the words warmed Leon more than the campfire they were sitting around ever would. A coy smile was quirking his lips as he replied, “Thanks. You were really great, too.”

Leon watched from the corner of his eye as a deep blush tinted Raihan’s cheeks and the tips of his ears. Not good at handling compliments, then? How cute.

Cute, cute, cute.

Leon couldn’t get the word out of his head.

\- - -

“I’ll be fine, Sonia. Don’t worry.”

Leon, Sonia and Nessa had just finished a nice lunch at the Captain’s Table in celebration of them beating the Hulbury Gym first thing that morning. The sun had climbed high up in the cloudless sky while they had been eating – it was going to be a hot day. Delighted by the promise of pretty weather, Nessa had offered them a sight-seeing tour of the sea-side town where she had grown up. Leon had politely declined but was currently urging Sonia to go. She hadn’t been able to get her eyes off their new companion ever since they had run into her on Route 5.

Now Sonia’s eyes were on Leon, though, and brimming with concern. “But Lee, are you sure - -”

“I’m sure.” Leon glanced at Nessa and Sonia followed his gaze. She was chatting with a fellow local down the street and wasn’t looking at them just then, so Leon turned his attention back to Sonia and gave her a knowing wink. It made her all flustered. “You two have fun,” Leon said in a teasing tone.

Sonia hid her flushed face in her hands for a few moments before nodding with a sigh. “Okay. Just… be careful. We’ll catch up with you later, okay? And text or call me right away if you run into any trouble.”

What she meant was “ _when_ you get lost”. Leon masked his grimace to the best of his abilities and hoped it looked like a laid-back smile. He wasn’t as hopeless with directions as Sonia thought he was. He’d be fine! Perfectly fine.

And so Leon bid his goodbyes and started his journey to Motostoke.

Alone.

Oh boy.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Honestly speaking, he was just as hopeless as Sonia thought he was. Maybe even more.

He hadn’t made it very far from the outskirts of town when he heard a familiar voice. “Oi, Leon!”

Leon turned towards the source of the voice and grinned. “Hi, Raihan! Long time no see!”

It _had_ been a long time. Leon had been worried that he’d never see Raihan again after they had parted ways on Route 3. A wave of relief washed over him. He’d be perfectly fine with Raihan around. He obviously knew what he was doing and where he was going, considering he had been travelling alone all this time. As Raihan made his way to his side, Leon hoped that he’d stick around longer this time around.

“Sup? Where’s Sonia?” Raihan asked as they kept walking along. After Leon had explained the situation, Raihan was silent for a moment, considering his words. “You didn’t wanna go sight-seeing, then?”

Leon waved his hand dismissively. “Nah, I decided to go on ahead.” What Raihan didn’t need to know was that he had regretted the decision almost immediately. “Let the girls have fun by themselves. I had no reason to tag along.”

Raihan looked puzzled. “I just… I was surprised to see you by yourself.” He didn’t look Leon in the eyes when he added, “I thought you two were… you know… dating.”

Ah.

Not the first time someone had assumed that. To be honest, it was kind of irritating, but Leon had gotten used to it. He didn’t let his annoyance show and laughed it off, like he always did. It was a reflex at this point. “Nah, nothing like that. Besides, I think…”

He thought what, exactly? Where was he going with this? Sonia’s personal preferences weren’t his to divulge to others. Maybe he had implied too much already. So… Then what? _I think_ I _like boys anyway_? Was it too early into their friendship to disclose those kinds of things? But it wasn’t really a thing that should be hidden to begin with. Still, it felt kind of weird to just say it out of the blue. He wasn’t even completely sure if it was the case. Sure, all of his crushes thus far, both celebrities and schoolmates, had been guys, but still - -

Before he got too tangled up in his thoughts, Leon continued, “Ah, it’s nothing. But yeah, we’re super close, have always been, but it’s one hundred percent platonic.”

“Oh.” Raihan had the decency to look embarrassed. Not many did in this situation. Usually people just tried to convince Leon that he and Sonia would make a cute couple and then proceed to pester him with idiotic and invasive questions. Even fewer apologized; the only thing people ever felt sorry about was the fact that they had been wrong in their assumptions.

But Raihan wasn’t like most people. He apologized. “It was stupid of me to assume. Sorry.” His words sounded sincere. Not only sounded – they _were_ sincere, Leon could tell.

He gave Raihan a smile, and it was genuine, too. “It’s alright. No harm done.”

They kept talking as they walked, sharing stories about their journeys since their previous meeting. Eventually, they came upon a… beach?

Leon froze despite the sweltering heat of the sun.

Wait, what?

Raihan had stopped on his tracks in front of him, his gaze sweeping across the view of sand and sea. “Where were you planning on going, anyway?” he asked. “We’re supposed to go through the caves next and head back to Motostoke.”

Ah, crap. Of course. Leon hadn’t realized that they had continued in the direction _he_ had chosen. And eleven times out of ten, the direction he chose was the wrong one. He would probably get lost in a straight corridor if he wasn’t being careful.

Great. Just great. Wonderful. Spectacular, even.

Embarrassed, he hid his face behind his snapback and mumbled, “I guess I got a bit lost…”

“Oh,” came Raihan’s confused reply. He didn’t press the matter further, however. “Well, wanna train a bit while we’re here? This seems like a great place for a battle or two.”

Leon agreed eagerly, glad for the change of subject.

The place was indeed perfectly suitable for a Pokémon battle. The weather? Not so much. Only Leon’s Charmeleon was unfazed by the extreme heat and carried Leon’s team to victory. In the end, Leon was drenched with sweat and completely spent.

On the opposite side of their impromptu battle pitch, Raihan was in a similar situation. Leon’s gaze was drawn to the motion of Raihan lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow, and then down to his exposed flat stomach - -

He tore his eyes away in a hurry and fumbled with his Poké Balls to call his Pokémon back. His heart was racing, and it wasn’t because of the battle.

Yep. _Definitely_ liked boys. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

And it seemed like he had started to take a particular liking to the looks of a certain boy standing just a couple dozen steps away from him.

“I think that’s enough for now,” Raihan called out.

Leon startled and nearly dropped Charmeleon’s Poké Ball. Had Raihan noticed him staring?

“We should rest up,” Raihan continued. “The cave is a ways away, and I don’t really feel like hiking there in this heat.”

Oh, he was talking about the battle.

Thank Arceus.

That evening, Leon felt the urge to explain how they had gotten themselves in their current situation, stranded on some remote beach off the beaten path. Hastily, like ripping off a band-aid, before he had time to regret his decision, he told Raihan about his nonexistent sense of direction and his tendency to get lost. It was embarrassing, admitting such a ridiculous thing, but Raihan listened to him keenly. And when he had asked for the reason why, Leon found that he wanted to tell someone.

He was taken aback by the realization. As a rule, he didn’t want to bother others with his worries and just how vulnerable he was, preferring to keep such things to himself and show a brave face to the rest of the world. But, for some reason, this time…

He wanted to tell _Raihan_.

And so he did. The encounter in the Slumbering Weald four years prior wasn’t something he liked to think about, but finally sharing what had happened that night with someone else was oddly comforting.

And, apparently, once Leon had started spilling his secrets, he just couldn’t stop. His desire to become the Champion was somehow an even harder one to admit, but he told Raihan about it anyway. It was silly to imagine such things, to have his sights set so high, on a nearly unattainable goal. And even sillier was the fact that, despite all his self-doubts and insecurities, somewhere in the deepest corner of his heart Leon knew that the dream wasn’t that far-fetched. He had it in him. He could be the next Champion. That’s why he had - -

“Aha, so that’s why your jersey number is one, then?” Raihan guessed.

Bullseye.

Leon bit the inside of his mouth and simply nodded in response. Was it really that obvious?

While he didn’t dare to meet Raihan’s eyes, Leon could hear the cocky smile in his friend’s voice when he spoke again. “That’s a pretty nice dream. Too bad _I’ll_ be the one who becomes the next Champion.”

Leon couldn’t help but smile at the words. “Is that so.” Maybe his dream wasn’t so silly after all.

Or perhaps the fact that Raihan entertained the same visions of grandeur only meant that he was as big an idiot as Leon was.

Either way, Leon wasn’t alone. And that’s all that mattered, in the end.

He decided that he would hold onto his friendship with Raihan with all his might.

Smile never faltering, Leon turned his head to face Raihan again and announced, “In that case, in addition to being friends, we’re also rivals.”

That’s how these things worked, right?

“…Yeah,” Raihan replied solemnly and it made something warm stir in Leon’s heart. This budding feeling… What could it be? He had a hunch, but now was not the time to think of such things. So, he tucked it away deep in his heart, to wait for a more opportune time to thoroughly examine it.

\- - -

They had gotten caught up in a sandstorm in the middle of a practice match in the Wild Area.

Leon knew it would’ve been better to cut their battle short, but he had kept going. He was battling with Raihan, after all. He never turned down a chance to train with his rival.

Leon and his Axew had won, but by the skin of their teeth. It had shocked him – Raihan had had the upper hand due to his Trapinch’s typing – but it looked like Raihan was the more shaken one of the two.

He shouldn’t have won this time.

“We should get out of here. Quick. Before the storm gets any worse,” Leon yelled over the howl of the ever-rising winds. He saw Raihan stiffly nod in agreement.

Leon shielded his face from the sandstorm and made his way over to Raihan. He seemed rattled; it was clear that the defeat had been a huge blow on his pride. Carefully, Leon stepped in closer to Raihan, longing to reach out for his hand and comfort him. But wouldn’t that do more harm than good in this situation? He was the one who had made Raihan feel that way, after all.

He hated it when he made others feel bad. He hated it more than anything.

Leon’s eyes stung. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the sand particles flying in the air or just plain old tears.

In what he hoped was a discreet manner, Leon stole a glance at Raihan. His brows were furrowed, shoulders tense, jaw clenched tight, gaze glued to map he had brought up on his Rotom Phone.

He really had no business looking so good even while grumpy.

Leon was happy to have Raihan as his friend and rival, he truly was. Sure, Leon tended to win the majority of their practice battles, but for the most part, they were evenly matched as Trainers. Thanks to their friendly rivalry, they had both improved tremendously over the past few weeks. Raihan kept him on his toes, forced him to make split-second decisions and improvise. Battling other Gym Challengers on the road was also great, of course, but those matches never felt quite the same. Not as invigorating, not as intense, not as _fun_.

But… Maybe beating Raihan’s precious Trapinch had been the last straw. Maybe Raihan had finally gotten tired of him. Tired of being rivals, tired of being friends. Tired of Leon.

Why would Raihan want to be friends with someone who made him feel miserable, anyway?

Raihan’s voice pulled Leon back to the present. “We should head that way to reach Giant’s Mirror,” he said and closed the map app. He was pointing… somewhere. Not that Leon had any idea where they were or how to get anywhere.

“Okay,” Leon mumbled and fought to keep his voice steady. “You lead the way.” As silent tears dripped down his face, Leon wondered if Raihan would ever rely on him as much as he relied on Raihan; if Raihan would ever care for him as much as he cared for Raihan.

Without warning, Raihan’s hand clasped his. Leon only barely caught Raihan’s soft words over the wind and the frantic beating of his own heart. “Let’s get out of here, Lee.”

 _Lee_. Raihan had used a nickname, for the first time. It was a common nickname at that; a lot of people in Leon’s life used it when referring to him. But, somehow, it sounded different when Raihan said it. It was so casual, and its casualness is what made it feel so special, like a promise that everything would be just fine. It made Leon’s heart flutter. He wanted Raihan to keep saying it, over and over and over again.

With Raihan’s voice echoing in his ears, Raihan’s warm hand in his, Raihan’s reliable back in front of him, Leon felt safer than ever before.

There was a moment of absolute clarity. The realization came suddenly, but it was like a calm, familiar whisper in his heart. Like becoming aware of your own breathing or your own heartbeat – something so ingrained in your being that you didn’t even have to think about.

That settled it, then, Leon thought. This went beyond aesthetic attraction. He was crushing on his best friend.

Had been for a while, in retrospect.

Leon smiled to himself. He’d have to come up with a nickname for Raihan, too.

Preferably one that no one else used, his competitive side added.


	2. Chapter 2

It was an unusually hot day, considering summer was already teetering on the edge of autumn.

Leon was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of a washing machine in some random laundromat in Wyndon. The others were running other errands, and Leon was stuck there, keeping an eye on their belongings, staring at his, Raihan’s, Sonia’s and Nessa’s Challenger uniforms through the door of the washing machine.

Spin, spin, spin.

Matched the thoughts in his head.

It was the day before the semi-finals of the Championship Cup. He had made it this far, so close to the fulfilment of his dream that he could almost touch it. If he just kept going, reached out, he could hold it in his hands.

Or not. Leon heaved a deep sigh. He didn’t like getting his hopes up. If he convinced himself that something good was going to happen and it ended up not happening, he’d only end up disappointed and hating himself more than usual. That’s what the insecure, anxious part of him tried to convince him. It was better to not expect anything, to preemptively lessen the inevitable heartbreak.

And no matter what happened at the Cup, his heart would still end up shattered. The Gym Challenge – and along with it, the best summer of his life – was coming to an end. No more adventures, no more traveling with their merry party of four, no more meals cooked over a campfire in the wilderness, no more sleeping under the stars, no more daily practice battles with Raihan.

Would they keep in touch once the thing that brought them together in the first place was over and done with? Did they have any reason to, really? Leon wanted to believe that his friendships with Nessa and Raihan would last, but all-consuming doubt kept his heart in its unyielding grasp.

And Raihan… Well, Leon’s feelings towards his best-friend-slash-rival were a whole another complex mess to untangle.

His thoughts were on a steady course to spiraling out of control when their dizzying descent was interrupted by a sudden coldness on his cheek. Leon jumped and let out a disgraceful yelp. He heard a familiar snort.

“Which one do you want?”

Leon turned his head to find Raihan standing next to him. There was a tote bag at his feet, filled with snacks he had fetched from the Poké Mart for the hotel room party they were going to have with Sonia and Nessa that night. He was holding two popsicles, one in each hand, one of which he had poked Leon’s cheek with. The smile he wore was radiant and beautiful and made Leon’s heart stutter.

Hastily, he tore his gaze away from Raihan’s face and studied the popsicle wrappers instead. “Pecha berry flavor, please.”

Raihan handed him the popsicle with a grin. “Figures. You’re so into super sweet things.”

Like you, Leon mused. You’re always so sweet.

Raihan opened the wrapper of his own popsicle and sat down on top of the washing machine Leon was sitting in front of. His long legs tangled in front of the door of the machine, obstructing the view of the spinning laundry. Leon had no choice but to lift his eyes back to Raihan’s face, all sharp lines and gentle eyes.

The week prior, after the eighth Gym, Raihan had gotten both of his ears pierced. Leon had accompanied him to the beauty salon and held his hand during the procedure. The piercings didn’t make him look any older, per se – he was still very much a fourteen-year-old, albeit tall for his age – but they really suited him.

Now, Raihan was resting his elbows on his thighs and regarding Leon with an unreadable expression on his handsome features. Flustered, Leon blurted out, “You shouldn’t slouch like that. It’s bad for your posture.”

Raihan rolled his eyes over-dramatically and hunched further down out of pure spite. “Shut up. We can’t all be perfect like you are.”

Before Leon managed to get his overclocked brain working properly to decipher Raihan’s words and come up with a witty retort of his own, Raihan had already sat a bit more upright and changed the subject. He was talking about the Cup, of course, full of vim and vigor, visibly vibrating with excitement. Leon could feel his chest tightening by the second. He couldn’t look at Raihan’s lit-up face. He lowered his gaze and started counting the tiny floor tiles.

Soon enough, Raihan noticed his silence and lack of enthusiasm. “What’s wrong?”

Raihan had a knack for asking the right questions to get Leon to open up. Or maybe it wasn’t the questions themselves, but the way he asked them – always straightforward and with genuine interest. Leon let out a drawn-out sigh and muttered, “Do I really deserve to be here?”

“I doubt it’s any more comfortable up here, but you can come sit next to me if you want. I think there’s enough room for the both of us,” Raihan said matter-of-factly.

Leon shot him a pointed look. “I didn’t mean the floor, Raihan.”

“I know, I know,” Raihan replied with a sigh. “The Cup then, yeah?”

Leon nodded.

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“I don’t know, I just…”

“You’re doubting yourself again, Lee. And for no reason.” Raihan’s tone was so gentle that Leon almost couldn’t stand it. “You’re an amazing Trainer and an even more amazing person. I bet you’ll do great tomorrow, and if anyone’s gonna face the Champion, it’ll be you.” He took a bite of his popsicle before he continued, “When are you gonna realize that you’re worthy of all the good things that happen to you? That you deserve everything you work so hard towards?”

Probably never, Leon thought pitifully. Not that he didn’t want to; believing in himself simply wasn’t one of his strong suits. But he didn’t voice any of his thoughts out loud, only bowed his head to stare at the floor again. At times like this, when his brain was at war against him, he honestly couldn’t understand why Raihan even bothered with someone like him, let alone enjoyed his company.

“Stop that.”

Leon lifted his gaze to Raihan’s face again. “Stop what?”

“Being so hard on yourself. Hiding what you’re feeling.” Raihan was wagging his half-eaten popsicle at Leon as he spoke, his bright eyes fixed on Leon’s. “There’s still something bothering you, isn’t there? You can’t fool me. Spit it out.”

I need to learn to hide it better, Leon thought. There was no need for him to cause unnecessary worry to others. Especially to Raihan. He couldn’t explain why he felt that way, but it made him feel like a burden.

But Raihan was right. There was still something he needed to get off his chest. Tentatively, he began, “Rairai…”

Leon saw Raihan jolt a little at the new nickname. He had sporadically tried a few other ones since the sandstorm incident in the Wild Area, but none of them had felt quite right. This time, however… Were his eyes deceiving him, or was Raihan _blushing_?

“Yeah?” Raihan replied. He seemed to accept the nickname, too. Gonna stick with that one, then.

Leon stopped and considered his next words for a moment.

What he wanted to say was: “I think I’m falling in love with you. I think I’ve been falling in love with you all summer. And it scares me, because there’s no way someone like you could love someone like me back, and then our friendship would be ruined, and it’s what I treasure the most.”

But he was a coward, so what he said instead was: “No matter what happens at the Cup… We’ll still be friends, right?”

Raihan studied Leon’s face. Leon wanted to take off his snapback and hide behind it. Had Raihan realized that that wasn’t was he really wanted to say?

“What kinda weird question was that? Of course we’ll be friends,” Raihan replied after a moment. “I mean… you’re my best friend. And my rival. You’re not gonna get rid of me just because the Gym Challenge is ending.” He directed a toothy grin at Leon and nibbled his popsicle. “Phones and the internet exist, you know. And trains and Flying Taxis. Ever heard of those? Pretty neat inventions, from what I’ve been told.”

Leon smiled. Raihan always managed to make him smile, even in moments like this when his brain was full of nothing but angry, intrusive static. He loved that about him.

He shook his head and forced a serious expression back on his face. Might as well have _this_ conversation, then. “But what if, somehow… I _do_ make it to the finals, and you don’t?” He paused for a moment before adding, “What if I become the Champion and you don’t?”

There was no hesitation in Raihan’s voice when he spoke. “ _When_ that happens, I’ll be happy for you, proud that you achieved your dream. I’ll run to the pitch, right past the security, and hug you so tight that your ribs will crack and spin you around. Like a best friend would.” He beamed down at Leon. Leon couldn’t help but smile back. “And then,” Raihan continued, “I’ll keep training and training till I catch up to you. I’ll come back and try again next year, and every year after that, until I finally kick your arse and take the crown from you.” He crossed his arms behind his head and dodged Leon’s gaze when he added, “That’s what the ‘rival’ part of this relationship is all about, you know.”

A relationship.

What would it feel like to be in a relationship with Raihan? A romantic one? Being best friends was wonderful in and of itself, and he was relieved that Raihan had promised to keep in touch. On second thought, it was a silly thing to feel insecure about, really. They’d grown incredibly close during the summer, as both rivals and friends, and Leon knew it in his heart that it was a friendship that would last till the end of their days. An unbreakable bond forged during their adventures together. It made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. A lovely feeling. He wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Then again… Wouldn’t it be even more lovely to be able to run his fingers along Raihan’s jawline, cradle his face in his hands and - -

Raihan’s voice snapped Leon out of his reverie. “Are you gonna eat that or just let it melt?”

“Oh! Right.” Leon opened the popsicle wrapper still in his hands and popped the badly melted treat into his mouth. “Thanks,” he added after a few long moments.

Raihan had already finished his popsicle while Leon had been deep in thought. “Don’t sweat it,” he said and kept gnawing on the bare popsicle stick, leaving sharp tooth marks behind, until it split along the grain of the wood. “You can treat me to another one some other time.”

“That’s not what I was referring to.”

“Then what?”

“Your words. Your friendship. Being here with me. Everything.” Leon smiled softly. “Thank you.”

Raihan stared at him, cracked popsicle stick hanging out of his mouth. Leon stared right back. Now there _certainly_ was a blush on Raihan’s cheeks. Leon noted that he really liked the sight. Had always liked. He could feel the heat starting to rise on his own face, too.

He didn’t want to get his hopes up.

But still, he wondered just how hard Raihan would blush if he got to his feet and kissed him.

Right now.

On the lips.

Before Leon had time to fully comprehend what he had been thinking, Sonia and Nessa barged in through the front door of the laundromat, hand in hand. The sudden noise made both boys jump, and Raihan nearly kicked Leon in the face. A literal knee-jerk reaction.

“Lunch time!” Sonia announced cheerily and waved a plastic bag full of take-out boxes around.

Nessa wasn’t as ecstatic. “What the hell, guys? Why are you eating dessert before the main course?!” She took two boxes out of the bag Sonia was carrying and glared at Raihan. “Rai, I’m eating your food as punishment.”

“Wha- - That’s not fair, Ness!” Agitated, Raihan jumped off the washing machine. “Why are you only punishing me?”

“You were the one responsible of getting the snacks, so this was obviously your idea. You’re corrupting our innocent Lee with your vile ways.”

Leon tried to regain his composure while Raihan and Nessa kept bickering about the food. Sonia gave him a knowing look – one raised eyebrow, one smug smile. Leon turned his eyes away, hid his burning face. She’d confront him about it later, in private. Ask questions. Say things like “I knew it” and “The signs were there all along” and “It was obvious right from the start” and “It’s clear that he likes you, too.”

He would deny everything.

She wouldn’t believe him for one second.

But he didn’t dare to hope. Hoping only resulted in inevitable heartbreak.

Still, he couldn’t throw the tiny seed of hope away. He just couldn’t.

So, Leon hid it, tucked it away deep in his heart, bit his tongue, and decided to enjoy the last day the four of them would share as Gym Challengers to the fullest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry leon, but you gotta pine for four more years before you get a kiss from your dense idiot of a best friend
> 
> let me know what you think i guess. peace out


End file.
